There is a discord for this fic. It has Live Updates about chapter progress and when they are completed, pictures for characters, lots of tidbits about the story, among other things. I'm also very active there and am likely to respond to any message sent there. Join at discord.gg/aWZ9qX9mAW
Glory to my chief Proofreader: Solare. For he is the one who points out mistakes and acts as my favourite wall to bounce ideas off of.
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"Finally! We meet at last, Adam D. Valentine! I've been looking to meet you for so long! My name is Morgans, the man who will Shake the Foundations of this World with the Truth! Will you let me Help you Turn this World Upside Down?!"
"Hah?!"
Adam stared at the young blonde haired man with evident confusion, he was so taken aback by the sudden and unprompted declaration that the miniature sun floating at his fingertips dissolved into yellow sparks.
Morgans didn't seem bothered by his reaction in the slightest, simply getting closer to the Lunarian while putting away his camera. "You heard what I said, didn't you? The information I got was certain that you spoke common…"
"I heard what you said, Monkey Brat. I'm just surprised you had the audacity to be so honest and open with such foolish goals. Shaking the foundations of the World with the Truth is one thing; but why the hell would a King such as myself, ally with a Brat like you?" Adam questioned arrogantly as he rested his head upon one hand.
"Kwahahaha! You're just as Arrogant as I've heard!" Morgans exclaimed humorously, clapping his hands furiously while ignoring his harsh tone. "I've also heard quite a bit about your own goals, Adam D. Valentine~!"
The grin on the blonde haired man's face got more and more sinister by the moment, "'Becoming An Immortal Legend' and 'Burning down the World Government' aren't the most realistic goals, are they? As a matter of fact, many would call them impossible!"
He watched as Adam's face twisted in a small frown at his words, already anticipating his reaction to his words. Morgans continued onwards with a grin devoid of fear and doubt, sure of his plan working.
"But not me! I just know it, you are going to somehow achieve your ambitions, I can feel my feathers quivering in anticipation just thinking about it! It is going to be BIG NEWS!" Morgans declared heatedly, drawing a confused and slightly flabbergasted look from the Lunarian.
"I must admit, I am amused by your blustering Brat, but you do not have feathers that are capable of quivering. I can't feel even a hint of strength in you either, you're nothing but a weak Monkey. So tell me, where do you get the balls to stand before me with such confidence?" Adam asked curiously, wondering what could possibly be pushing him.
"First of all, let a man Dream, will ya?! I've always wanted to become a bird, their sheer freedom in both movement and existence is awe inspiring! It's why I've been looking for a Bird Zoan Devil Fruit for the longest time!" Morgans declared heatedly, causing Adam's eyebrows to lift slightly at his outburst.
"Secondly, I have this confidence because I know that we have much in common, we both share the same Agenda!" He concluded with a beaming smile even as the Lunarian's face twisted into even more confusion.
"What is this fool yammering on about?" Adam muttered to himself loud enough for the blonde haired man to hear, he then shifted slightly atop the rubble and tilted his head downward. "In either case, how did you even know about my own Dreams? Not that I care, but I don't recall making that public information."
"Oh, but you did make it public information! Even a bartender's mouth can get loosened with enough alcohol, y'know? And from there, it really doesn't take much for news to spread about a hot new Supernova that debuted by obliterating Loguetown's Marine Base 3 days after Roger's execution!"
A look of recognition covered Adam's face for a moment as he nodded, remembering how he told Old Man Raoul about his plans. Morgans seemed to pick up on his recognition and nod in affirmation, making his way forward towards Adam and sitting before him atop some fallen rubble.
"Exactly! You wish to become an Immortal Legend, and I can help you reach that goal, if you would let me!" Morgans pleaded, trying his best to convince the suspicious Lunarian.
"How and why, pray tell, could you help me achieve that? Not only are you a no-name Mongrel, you are also a weak Monkey, so I am quite curious as to how you could even begin helping me with my ambitions." Adam responded haughtily, dismissing him and turning to look at the main building of the Base.
"I said I planned to shake the world with the truth, did I not? That's exactly what we're gonna do together! I am currently a low level employee at the World Economy Newspaper, my plan is to become the President of the Press!" The Blonde haired man answered, grabbing Adam's attention again as he leaned forward.
"I will use you as my 'Ace in the Hole' as it were, I will follow you along and make sure the entire world knows of your insane exploits! The more and more that my articles go viral and the higher my metrics rise, the better I'll be able to spread word of your existence!"
Morgans then stood up, raising his hands up into the air dramatically as he finished his speech, "I will help you create your Legend and you will help me become the Head of the World Economic Press! It's a Win-Win for everyone!"
Adam simply stared at him impassively for a few seconds before he shrugged and stood up, prompting Morgans to tilt his head slightly and stand up too. Then the Lunarian began walking away without a word, beginning to make his way into the main building of the Marine Base.
"W-Wait, Adam! Is that a yes or a no?!" He cried out as he speed walked to his side, the Lunarian stood a few feet taller than himself which made him need to look up high to meet his eyes.
"Do I really need to answer that for you, Mongrel? Don't tell me you're more foolish than you are competent?" Adam muttered tiredly as he reached the entrance to the building, blasting away the double doors with a yellow inferno.
"I assume that's a yes…" The Blonde haired man whispered incredulously, a moment later his eyes shot wide open as he fully processed what he said. "Wait, hold on a second! My name is Morgans, not Mongrel! M-O-R-G-A-N-S!"
"Uhuh.. Whatever you say, Mongrel."
All Morgans could do was bluster uselessly at the impassive Lunarian, the two of them explored the G-2 Base, with Adam searching it for anything useful that he could steal for himself. About 20 or so minutes later, they exited the building.
There had been a Famed Blade in the armoury but Adam had just left it where it was, not seeing the use in taking it. However, in Adam's hand was a small fruit, round and heavily spiked, its shimmering metallic gray surface glinting like polished steel. It had a dark black stem jutted from the top.
'How convenient, seems like the Mongrel with the Iron Iron Fruit that I killed had his power reincarnated into this fruit. Couldn't find any other Devil Fruits on the base, but it's of no importance, a Zoan Devil Fruit wouldn't be that useful anyways.' Adam thought, cracking his neck slightly and tuning back into Morgans' words.
"-So you see, not only was it because of your explosive debut but also it was because of your record breaking starting Bounty of 420 Million Berries that I chose to look for you. Not only that, but you also got a 'ONLY ALIVE' mandate on your Bounty!"
Morgans turned to him to look him in the eye as he carried a backpack filled with classified files that he stole from the Marine Base, "Speaking of which, does that have anything to do with your Devil Fruit? It's some kind of Mythical Zoan, correct?"
"Hah?! I did not eat any kind of Devil Fruit, I am a Lunarian! And as far as I know, I am the Last of my Kind. The sole inheritor of my Proud Warrior Race's Will." Adam declared with pride, causing Morgans to pause slightly.
"Wow… So your race just gives you all these different kinds of ability right off the bat? The World really does have its favourites, doesn't it?" Morgans muttered absentmindedly, flinching slightly when he felt the temperature of the air beside him spike tremendously.
"Right…" Adam growled lowly, drawing an awkward laugh out of Morgans who turned away and tugged at his collar. The blonde haired man walked ahead of the Lunarian and led him towards the coast of the Marine island, pointing towards a Sloop ship docked in the middle of the Marine Battleships.
"A-Anyways! We can take my ship, I'll take you to Jaya and you can take a rest while continuing your journey. I believe you said you wanted to repair your clothing and get some sleep? You deserve a rest after all this fighting!" Morgans said, prompting Adam to tilt his head slightly before shrugging.
The winged man jumped onto Morgans' ship and laid down, using the ship's mast as a temporary shade. "Fine then, Mongrel. I'll get some sleep, you start the journey to Jaya in the meantime."
Morgans simply did a silent fist bump to the air before getting on the ship and unfurling the ship's mast, "Got it, Adam!"
"Don't call me by my name as if we're close, you worthless Monkey. You're lucky I'm allowing you to breathe in the presence of my Royal Self." Adam declared, leaning back and placing his hands behind his head before closing his eyes to get some sleep.
"Whatever you say, 'your Royal Highness'~!" Morgans called out jokingly as he raised the anchor and began sailing away from the demolished G-2 Marine Base towards the island of Jaya.
"For your information, I am actually of Lunarian Royalty. Do not speak of my status so casually, or I will reduce this dingy ship to ash and simply fly to the next island." Adam stated tiredly, drawing an amused chuckle from Morgans.
"Kwahahaha! Whatever you say, 'Valentine-sama'~!"
"Hrnnn…"
As the unlikely duo of Morgans and Adam made their way towards Jaya, the aspiring president reporter sent all the information about Adam's antics ever since his last Bounty poster release to the World Government and the Headquarters of the World Economic Press via Den Den Mushi.
The news were simply too Big for them to suppress and as such, they were spread throughout the World which shook in the wake of Adam's continued reign of terror over the Grandline's Paradise.
The following is a compilation of the most important and entertaining reactions to the news and Adam D. Valentine's newest Bounty Poster from figures that could eventually play a big role in shaping the World as we know it.
…
Loguetown, East Blue.
The inside of the 'Gold Roger' bar seemed to be as lively as ever, undeterred by the severely increased Marine presence on the island following Adam's visit. Within the bar were dozens of low level wannabe pirates celebrating like it was New Year's eve.
"BAHAHA! Adam really did it again!" A pirate worth 1 Million Berries exclaimed heartily, extremely happy to see the Marines suffer thanks to one of their own.
"He really did, didn't he? What a Mad Legend! Single handedly overthrowing a country in a single night?! We couldn't hope to do that in a whole year!" A seasoned East Blue veteran pirate worth 20 Million Berries shouted excitedly, it was truly the most exciting thing he'd heard about in years short of the One Piece itself.
"You guys are missing the real good part here! They say he beat the King's ass then stole some things from the treasury before just leaving and proceeding to destroy a Marine Base alone, AGAIN! Man! What a Mad Bastard this guy is!" A young man in his early twenties called out, turning the newspaper around to show them.
"Hic! Looks like he killed Elemer, the Briar Knight- Hic! -too! I remember that guy crushing some Supernova- Hic! -from my hometown years ago, serves that Pig right!" A drunkard called out after reading the newspaper before downing a whole tankard of Ale and then turning towards the Bar counter.
He stood up and raised his tankard to the sky before shouting, "Old Man Raoul, hook us up with some more Ale will ya?! Drinks are on me tonight!"
"AYE! CHEERS TO ZATOUJI!"
Old Man Raoul sighed exasperatedly at their enthusiasm, shaking his head before grabbing a few tankards and beginning to fill them up. He retreated inwards into his mind as he did, thinking about the things he had heard from the newspaper.
'So… This is the path you chose to 'Become An Immortal Legend', huh? Well, I sure hope you know what you're doing Adam. This path of Vengeance and Rage… It can lead you down quite the dark road…'
…
Twin Capes, Paradise.
Crocus hanged some wet clothes off of a drying rack, he heard the caws of a bird in the distance, prompting him to look to the sky to find its source. He spotted a News Coo Pigeon flying towards him, the bird stopped before him and rested on a nearby ledge.
The pigeon cawed at him expectantly as it held the newspaper rolled up on a backpack tied around its neck. Crocus chuckled slightly at this before offering a 50 Berry coin, the News Coo's beady eyes gleamed at this before taking it with its beak and bending its neck.
Crocus grabbed the newspaper, letting the News Coo caw at him one last time before flying away. He took the rolled up newspaper and sat down on a beach chair, he unfurled the newspaper, taking in its contents with a focused stare.
Eventually a low chuckle escaped his throat as he flipped through the pages of the newspaper, "Hahaha~! Looks like you've been having quite some fun, Adam!"
"It's almost nostalgic, to be honest. It's been quite some time since I've seen a Pirate fuck with the World Government purely for the Love of the Game, it's just what Roger would have done~! Hahaha!" Crocus laughed to himself, drawing the attention of Laboon who looked curious as to what he had in his hands.
"It's nice to see that there are those who will push back against the world as you did, Roger. I just hope the World doesn't swallow you in return, Adam…"
…
Drum Island, Paradise.
Astrid cleaned up a table in the Town Hall, she was idly listening into the lively chatter around her. The News Coo had brought in the latest news about Adam which was veritable lighting the dining hall ablaze in gossip and rambling.
"Are we sure this is the same guy that came to our town?" Dalton asked, her son was quite confused to see a man that he respected do something so heinous as attacking a Marine Base. Although, she thought he would stop admiring him after he heard that Adam temporarily took over their kingdom.
"No.. It's definitely him. I couldn't forget those Crimson eyes if I tried…" Kaiden muttered as he stared at the Bounty Poster in his hands, he and his crew had actually decided to quit Pirating for a while so they had settled down and began living in the town.
'If monsters like that guy exist in the Pirate World, then we really weren't meant for the seas… The One Piece isn't worth our lives…' He thought; after all, as their Captain, he must keep the wellbeing of his crew in mind at all costs.
"No kiddin', that damn insane freak is terrifying. I mean, his Bounty was already crazy enough but this is insane, no? He's still in Paradise too, I shudder to think of what he'll reach when given enough time." Taro muttered while nursing a tankard of Beer, he could still feel an ache in his head from being smashed into the ground.
Astrid turned around to face them as she took their empty plates to clean them, as she did, she stole a glance at Adam's Bounty poster. The mere look of the devilishly handsome Lunarian caused goosebumps to run down her back.
She hurriedly took the plates back to her work counter and began cleaning them with more force than necessary, 'Bad Astrid! Keep those bad thoughts away! You love your Husband, you won't do anything with that weirdly Hot Pirate…'
…
Cozia, East Blue.
"Please, Captain Valve! We won't try to fight you guys again, just let us go this one time and you'll never see us again!"
Eustass Valve looked down at the defeated and battered pirate crew before him with a wide grin, he reached his hand up and pulled back the sleeve of his right arm. Smoke began leaking from his body, with the majority of it emanating from his arms.
He wore a tall black top hat adorned with gold gears and pipes, with steam rising from it. His olive-green coat, accented with gold buttons and gear motifs, features decorative gold epaulets and is left open over a dark fitted shirt. His pants are secured with a utility belt, and his knee-high brown leather boots are reinforced with laces and buckles with round blue-tinted goggles to complete the outfit.
"Smohoho! You should have thought twice before challenging me, I'm gonna send you idiots into next week!" Valve declared before bringing his hand backwards, charging up even more smoke around them before throwing it outwards.
"Smoked-Punk!"
An explosion of Smoke burst forward from his arm, creating a blast of Smoke that, as he stated he would, sent the defeated pirate crew tumbling down the empty street. A moment later, he heard loud cheers from behind him.
"Cheers for our invincible Captain, Eustass Valve!" Jarek exclaimed, he was acting as the navigator for their newly created crew which set out to follow Adam to the seas.
Valve simply laughed and placed a hand at his hip at his crew's cheery attitude, finding that Devil Fruit during one of their expeditions on an abandoned island had been possibly the best thing that had ever happened to him short of meeting his idol, Adam, of course.
He had even gained a Bounty of 82 Million Berries with the epithet 'Smoke Hand' Eustass Valve, both courtesy of his surprisingly powerful Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit powers.
"Hey everyone, there's more news on Sir Valentine! He's been doing some amazing things over in the Grandline." Finley called out from afar, he was his First Mate who Valve had sent to grab some resources for their ship before they were attacked.
"Oh? Give it here, Finley!" "Yeah, let's see what Valentine-san has done!"
A small moment of silence cut through the air as they all excitedly read the newspaper, gossip immediately broke out a moment later as they learned of their idol's exploits.
Eustass Valve seemed to have the biggest reaction as his face was covered by a huge grin, he looked to his crew and called out.
"Men, I have an announcement!"
"Hm?" "What is it, Captain?"
"Since it's obvious that the East Blue won't be a challenge for us, I say we leave the East Blue and head off to greener pastures! If we can ever be able to catch up to him, we can't let Adam leave us behind too much!"
Valve stood back to gauge the reaction of his crew, taking in the excited grins around him. He then raised his arm to the sky and shouted.
"Alright then men, all who stand with me in going for the Grandline shout 'Aye' and those that disagree, whimper 'Nay'!"
"""AYE!!"""
"SMOHOHO! ALRIGHT THEN MY 'MONGREL' PIRATES, TO REVERSE MOUNTAIN! THE GRANDLINE'S CALLIN' OUR NAME!"
…
San Faldo, Paradise.
Crocodile cut into his steak quietly, enjoying the luxurious atmosphere of the high class restaurant he and his crew sat in. Soft jazz played in the background with the subtle sound of cutlery and plates touching each other.
'Hmm.. Life like this sure is good, ain't it?' Crocodile thought as he brought the cut steak up to his mouth and ate it, humming in satisfaction a moment later. 'Oh, it definitely is~! I could get used to this!'
"Excuse me, sir?" A waiter called out from the side, when he turned to her he saw she was offering him a large Cigar. "Would you like a Cigar? It hails all the way from Baterilla in the South Blue, you won't find a better one this side of the Grandline!"
The black haired man tilted his head slightly in thought before reaching forward and taking the Batarillian Cigar, he placed it in his mouth and leaned forward, letting the waiter light it for him. The pirate took a deep drag of it before letting the smoke out with a satisfied sigh.
"Hah~… Thank you, darling." He said a moment later, reaching into his shirt's pocket and giving her a tip which she took graciously with a bow.
"Of course, Sir."
She then left as a few moments later, another one of his crew came into the restaurant with a newspaper in hand. "Captain? You're gonna wanna see this."
"Hm? What is it?" Crocodile responded as he removed the Cigar from his mouth, grabbing the newspaper casually and reading through it. With each moment, his reading speed got faster and faster before stopping.
"Jack.. Give me that damned Bounty Poster in your hand…" Crocodile nearly growled, he took the Bounty Poster handed to him and stared at it with abject infuriation.
"632 Million Berries… Not only does he get the highest starting Bounty in History but it jumps up this much?" He muttered to himself, unconsciously placing pressure on the Cigar in his hand until it snapped in half.
"Don't worry, Adam D. Valentine… I will find you, and I will make sure you know which one of us is better! A Vice Admiral? I can beat one of those too!"
…
Near the Briss Kingdom, South Blue.
"So this is the guy you were talking about, Shanks?" Lucky Roux asked, in one hand he held Adam's Bounty Poster and in the other a large Chicken Drumstick.
The man is incredibly tall with a large, round belly that makes him appear jovial and carefree. He has a wide grin showing prominent teeth. He wore a green-and-white striped shirt with short sleeves, and his belly protruded from the tight fit.
A green sash is tied around his waist, hanging loosely over beige shorts. He had green socks and matching green shoes, which complement his striped shirt. His head is covered with a green-and-white striped cap that matches his outfit.
"Yeah he is, looks like he's been up to some shenanigans, huh?" Shanks answered with a large grin as he read about Adam's wild exploits. He leaned back against the bulwark of their ship, enjoying the feeling of the swaying seas carrying them.
"Oh yeah~, our Captain is really interested in him~!" Ben Beckman snickered teasingly, causing Lucky Roux to burst out laughing and Shanks to grind his teeth.
"Yeah, you might be right, Benn! BAHAHA!" Lucky Roux laughed, joining in on the teasing.
Shanks stood up from his place on the ground and shouted incredulously while pointing at them, "For the last time, I am not Gay! I love women!"
"Sure buddy!" "It's alright Captain, we don't judge!" "As long as we don't have to protect ourselves from you at night!"
"Grrr.. I'm just interested cuz of the things he's pulling off and cuz he's a Lunarian, that's all there is to it damn it!" Shanks exclaimed, causing them to chuckle at him as Lucky Roux took another glance at the Bounty Poster.
"A Lunarian, huh? Is that why he's got an 'ONLY ALIVE' clause?" He asked, causing Shanks to consider it for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, maybe… I should tell you more about what I know about them later on…"
…
Marineford, Paradise.
After several hours of non-stop flight, Vice Admiral Kizaru finally reached his destination. His body returned into physical form as he crash landed on the beach of the Marine Headquarters, he could feel nearly blinding pain flooding his senses.
"D-Damn… I think I may have opened up some of my stitches, messed up the hard work of Siana-chan…" He trailed off as his mind considered the fate of his comrade, he had no idea if she managed to live or not.
"Fuck my life…" Borsalino muttered, placing his hands on the ground and beginning to push himself up from the ground when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"Borsalino? You look like shit." Garp called out from at the top of the beach while picking his nose clean with his pinky finger, causing Kizaru to nearly burst out into hysterical laughter.
"I.. I lost a fight…" He muttered, his mind still thinking about the men he left behind to live. He was about to continue explaining when Garp interjected.
"BWAHAHA! No shit?! You look like someone put you through a meat grinder that was also on fire!" The Marine Hero cackled uproariously, causing a slight weary laughter to escape him.
Borsalino then felt two small hands hold onto him and help him up to his feet, they belonged to a silver haired teenager.
"T-Thanks kid… I heard Garp-san picked up a student of his own, I guess that's you?" He asked, wincing slightly as they began walking into the compound to find him a medic.
"Yup, that's Smoker. He's my new apprentice, a feisty one at that!" Garp answered carelessly, reaching into his pocket and grabbing a packet of Senbei rice crackers before disappearing from his place in a blur of wind.
"Yeah, what he said Kizaru-san. What the hell happened?" Smoker asked, curious as to what could cause a Vice Admiral with such a powerful Devil Fruit to be this beat up.
"I set out to capture a Pirate that was on Foolshout Island, but he was way too strong for me so, shamefully, I had to run away. But he followed me to G-2, and… Well, I can only pray that my men aren't all dead. They gave up their lives to help me escape…" Borsalino answered, drawing a sharp gasp from Smoker.
He was about to ask the obvious question when someone else beat him to it, prompting them both to look up at the source.
"Fucking hell, Borsalino. Who did all of that?!" Zephyr asked with crossed arms, he was the Head Trainer of the Marine Headquarters and a former Marine Admiral but had recently retired.
He is a tall, broad-shouldered man with a muscular build. His face is stern and angular, with a prominent jawline and furrowed brows. His hair is short and spiky, in a striking shade of purple. He wore a formal purple suit, complemented by a light pink shirt with a red polka-dotted tie. Draped over his shoulders is a white Marine coat.
Kizaru looked to the ground with shame before sighing, "It was 'The Flameborne' Adam D. Valentine."
"What?!" Smoker gasped, losing focus and freezing in place at the name, causing Kizaru to slip from his hold and fall face first onto the ground. "Oh, shit! Sorry, Borsalino-san!"
"Oww…" Borsalino whispered as he ate dirt, it felt almost as if the universe itself was beating down at him at this point.
"God damnit, Borsalino! This is why I told you not to slack off on your Haki training!" Zephyr exclaimed, matching forwards to pick him up and take him to the infirmary.
To that, all Kizaru could do was lay there and think back to his failures and the promise he made to his men. And in the end, he could only say one thing before passing out.
"I want a raise…"
…
Lvneel Kingdom, North Blue.
Donquixote Doflamingo leaned back in his leather couch in a luxurious hotel room, he had 3 women sitting next to him with one of them trailing her finger up his neck seductively. Another was filling a glass of wine for him, while the last was massaging his shoulders.
As he was enjoying his time with the 3 ladies, the door of his hotel room was flung open to reveal a tall man in black clothing. Doflamingo's face immediately twisted in recognition, "Chihiro… Can't you see I'm busy, the hell do you want now? I let your debt go already."
"I don't care, Doflamingo! You lied to me about how my dad died!" Chihiro cried out, taking Doflamingo off guard as he stepped forward and shouted once more. "Why did you kill my father?!"
Wrinkles formed on Doflamingo's face as his mood was completely ruined, a second later a cruel smirk covered his face as he replied. "You want to know, you stupid, lame, frog-faced bitch?! Fine! I killed your father for 50 Berries and a Lighter!"
"What-?!" Chihiro muttered in horror while reaching for his blade, but before he could do anything, his head slid off of his shoulders and fell to the ground. A crimson glint in the air showed a razor sharp string in the air that shot from Doflamingo's finger.
"My mood has already been ruined, go away." He ordered, drawing terrified nods from the women who ran out of the room hurriedly. Doflamingo took a sip from his wine before twirling the glass slightly in thought, a moment later Diamante walked into the room with a newspaper in hand.
"Doffy, you're gonna wanna see this!"
Doflamingo grabbed the newspaper and began reading it quietly, the frown on his face eased up by the second and turned into a wide grin. "Fufufufu~! Looks like you've been quite busy, huh? The more I learn about you, the more intriguing you get, Adam D. Valentine!"
He rested his head on a hand in thought as he stared at Adam's outstanding Bounty, "632 Million, huh? You 5 Old Geezers are quite desperate to get a hold of him, aren't you? Your 'wonderful' CP 0 must have failed too! Fufufufufu!"
"What I would give to be a fly on the wall for that meeting! Good work, Adam! Keep making their lives hell! EhehehehehahahaHYAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"
…
Mary Geoise, The Room of Authority.
5 Figures occupied the Room of Authority, the place where the absolute powers of the World Government worked to maintain their Agenda. They were sitting by each other in the middle of a huge luxurious room lit only by the faint sunlight flowing through the stained glass windows.
They were the 5 Elder Stars or the 'Gorosei' which acted as the Highest Authority of the World Government, their names were Jaygarcia Saturn, Marcus Mars, Topman Warcury, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro and Shepherd Ju Peter.
"It seems that Vice Admiral Borsalino and G-2 have failed in containing that Lunarian, how unfortunate." Saint Jaygarcia Saturn said, lamenting the lost opportunity in capturing a member of Lunarian Royalty. "He would have been an amazing test subject."
"That fool, Borsalino. I heard back from Marineford, it seems he escaped with his life. What a waste of space, he should have died with his men if he failed in such a simple task." Saint Markus Mars asserted cruelly, unhappy with Kizaru's perceived cowardice.
"Well, perhaps so. But he is the user of the Light Fruit, is he not? It is a powerful Devil Fruit, he could be put to use elsewhere as long as proper punishments are put in place. Thankfully, it seems that Lunarian Slave targeted only the officers so the rest of the fodder still live." Saint Topman Warcury added, playing devil's advocate for the moment.
"What about Garling? He was put in charge of capturing him with full use of Cipher Pol 0, was he not? Such a waste of resources, we must not let such a failure come to pass without consequences." Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro complained, displeased with unnecessary waste.
"You're right, Nusjuro. I suggest a 500 Million Berry dock off of his monthly salary. That should send the right message." Saint Shepherd Ju Peter offered, drawing considering hums from the rest.
Marcus Mars was the first to respond, "I second this motion. A decrease from 3 Billion a month to 2.5 Billion a month should be good enough. All in favour, say 'Aye'."
"""Aye."""
"Good then the motion passes, now, back to the topic of discussion. What should we do with the Lunarian?" Topman Warcury asked, wanting to continue the meeting.
"Hm.. Perhaps we could add him to the list of potential Pirates to add to the Warlord system we've been drafting up? We could get access to his Lineage Factor, having some Lunarian DNA of the Royal Bloodline would make replicating them much easier." Jaygarcia Saturn offered, wanting to get a hold on Adam's DNA.
"I don't like the idea, it would make it seem like the World Government is bowing down to a pirate after being unable to capture and being beaten by him." Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro denied, shifting the Supreme Blade in his hands as he did to scratch his chin.
"That is true, I motion that we send Garp to find him. That fool has been slacking off ever since Roger's Execution." Shepherd Ju Peter said, drawing nods from the others.
"Seconded, all in favour say 'Aye'."
"""Aye."""
"The motion passes, Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp will be sent after the Lunarian as soon as possible. Now, unto other topics. For the sake of Imu-Sama, we must Maintain the Agenda at all Costs."
…
Waters near Sphinx Island, New World.
Atop the lively and ginormous Moby Dick, hundreds of Pirates walked around and partied to their heart's extent. The News Coo had just brought several copies for the ship, all of which were bought and shared between each other.
"Hahaha! Look at this you guys, this Rookie is really giving the marines hell!" Thatch exclaimed with an uproarious laughter, much to the amusement of everyone around him.
"You're right about that, for a Rookie he's got quite some balls." Jozu commented with an impressed tone, rubbing his chin in thought.
"For real, you see this yet, Pops?" Marco called out as he turned to the side, looking at his Captain who was reading the newspaper as well.
There sat Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate, an Emperor of the Seas, the Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Strongest Man Alive who was considered to be The Man Closest to One Piece.
"Gurarara! Yes, I am! These greenhorns really are wild nowadays! It's just like back in Rocks' era, they say here that Adam destroyed the Marine Base unprompted but I bet those Marines tried him first and didn't realise that they bit off more than they can chew." Whitebeard replied with a slightly impressed tone.
'A Lunarian, huh? I'm surprised those still live, I bet the World Government is falling over itself wanting to capture him. It's no surprise they gave him such a high Bounty with an 'ONLY ALIVE' clause. Typical.' He thought a moment later, choosing to keep said information a secret since he saw no reason to say anything.
"Hey, Teach! This guy shares the same D. middle name with you, you wouldn't happen to know him, would you?" Thatch asked as he placed his arm around a large overweight man's neck.
"W-What? No way, Thatch-san! You gotta be pulling my leg here, I don't know him at all! Not all D.s are related, y'know? Then I would have been Roger's nephew or something!" Marshall D. Teach denied with a grin, deflecting the question entirely.
"I guess you're right, that makes sense!" Thatch replied cheerfully without a care in the world before turning to the rest of the crew after flipping through the newspaper a bit. "Yo guys! Looks like Big Mom and Kaido are fighting!"
"Oh? What for?" Jozu asked as he flipped through the newspaper to find what he was talking about.
"Says here Kaido challenged her over some Devil Fruit; but knowing him, the mad bastard probably just wanted an excuse to pick a fight! Hahaha!" Vista answered with an amused chuckle, drawing laughs from everyone else around him.
"Gurara! You might not be wrong, Vista! But Kaido is still just a brat who is a 100 years too young to stand up to Big Mom, much less me! I bet he's just spending the fight being thrown around by Linlin!" Whitebeard laughed as he reached to side, grabbing an entire barrel of Beer and drinking straight from it as if it were a regular cup.
"Of course, Pops! You're not the Strongest Man Alive for no reason after all! You beat Kaido unconscious a few weeks ago with only a couple scratches!" Marco called out with a prideful grin, proud that he had the honour of calling him his 'father'.
"Titles don't mean anything to me, I just want to keep my family safe and happy." Edward Newgate replied with a dismissive wave as he took another gulp of his alcohol, which only made his crew praise him more.
Whitebeard shook his head goodnaturedly at their antics before he took another glance at Adam's Bounty Poster, quietly committing it to memory since he had a feeling he would meet the young pirate soon enough. Then a wide grin covered his face as he burst out into laughter.
[Image of Adam's Bounty + New Look (In Discord)]
"GURARARARARA! ROGER! THIS NEW ERA YOU MADE IS FUCKING HILARIOUS! GURARARARA!"
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Author's Note:
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Next Chapter Title: 'Where Dreams Come to Die'.
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